Florence: Accademia and Uffizi Galleries Guided Tour

About This Experience

This is a three-part tour with a licensed guide, run by Florence Specialists Small Group Tours. It begins at the operator's office at Via Ricasoli 119R, on the same street as the Accademia, where the first hour is spent with Michelangelo's David. After a five-minute pause the group walks across the center, about 15 minutes around the cathedral and dome and 20 minutes through Piazza della Signoria, then enters the Uffizi for a two-hour guided visit of Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael. The listing calls it three hours; add up the stages and it is nearer three and a half.

Both timed tickets and the reservation fees are included; there is no official ticket covering both museums, so this is two separate reservations bundled by the operator. The Accademia has no cloakroom and admits only bags up to 40 x 30 x 18 cm. At the Uffizi everyone passes the metal detector, and the operator warns that admission can be delayed at busy times because the museum regulates how many people are inside. The Uffizi route starts with 126 steps up the Grand Ducal Staircase; lifts are available. Both museums are closed on Mondays.

It suits a first visit when you want David, the Uffizi and a walk through the center explained in one block, and it has the highest rating on this site among the two-museum tours: 4.9 from 516 reviews. If you would rather skip the city walk, the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia Gallery Guided Tour goes straight from one museum to the other in three hours. If you want both museums without a guide, the Uffizi and Accademia Timed Combo Tickets and Audio App bundle the two reservations.

Be at the meeting point 15 minutes before the start, with photo ID showing date of birth for every participant: the operator notes that minors without ID pay the full adult ticket price. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start. The group size is described as small but not given as a number; museum rules cap guided groups at 16 inside the Uffizi and 20 at the Accademia.

Highlights

• 1 hour at the Accademia, a 35-minute walk through the center, 2 hours in the Uffizi
• Michelangelo's David at the Accademia
• Cathedral, Brunelleschi's dome and Piazza della Signoria on the walk between the museums
• Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael at the Uffizi
• Views of the Arno and Ponte Vecchio from the Uffizi
• Small-group format with a local guide

What's Included

• ✓ Local licensed guide for the whole route
• ✓ Timed-entry ticket and reservation for the Accademia Gallery
• ✓ Timed-entry ticket and reservation for the Uffizi Gallery
• ✓ Radios with headsets
• ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

Not Included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Food and drinks
• Gratuities

What to Bring

• Passport or photo ID with date of birth for every participant, including children
• A small bag only: the Accademia admits nothing larger than 40 x 30 x 18 cm and has no cloakroom
• Comfortable shoes and a water bottle of up to 50 cl

Good to Know & Caveats

• Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
• Arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the start time.
• Everyone shows a valid photo ID with date of birth; minors without ID are charged the full adult ticket price, per the operator.
• Admission may be delayed at busy times because the museums regulate how many people are inside; everyone passes security, reservation or not.
• The itinerary stages add up to about three and a half hours, a little more than the three hours in the title.
• No luggage or large bags; the Accademia has no cloakroom.
• Both museums are closed on Mondays, so the tour does not run then.

Meeting Point

The operator's office at Via Ricasoli 119R, 50121 Florence, on the same street as the Accademia. Be there 15 minutes before the start.